Every year, about this time, I get a MAJOR hankering for some fresh and floraly scents with the deepest hopes of quickening that bright and cheery re-emergence of spring. Since I am generally drawn to fragrances that have notes of Jasmine or Orange Blossom, it’s with absolute certainty that I bring you a list of fabulous fragrances for just about any fellow harbinger of SPRING 🙂 . Each one of the fragrances mentioned herein, are subtle but are also sure to evoke the sweetest memories of springs gone-by.
I once read that every woman should have ONE true fragrance… For years and years I searched for that one scent that was absolutely me… but then I just gave up; For me, this is simply impossible and I have finally accepted it. In my humble opinion, fragrance is a personal journey (I carry bottles of the first perfume I ever wore (Love’s Baby Soft), and the one I remember my Mammaw wearing to church (Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door or Tresor by Lancome), just so I can bring back the memory with a whiff), and a trip to a local perfume department is almost like looking into a scrapbook of memories or listening to THAT song you loved during a certain time period of your life. Here, I will give you my take on each fragrance, but urge you to take a sniff of each one the next time you’re at the mall and see what memories they conjure for you. Treat yourself to some sunshine in a bottle!!!
1. Orange Blossom, by Jo Malone: This fragrance was introduced to me by one of my very best friends who lived in Paris for a bit… Well, she actually lived all over… I would receive post cards from exotic locals and imagine all the wonderful adventures she was having, and upon her return there was always a bit of beauty or fashion influence imperative to follow from my perspective. As such, anytime she suggests something to me, I just know it will be luxurious!! This scent IS the sweet and enduring scent of orange blossoms, pure and simple. It reminds me of carefree days spent waiting for warmer weather and educational freedom so I could get out and ride my bike around the neighborhood with friends. Being in the heart of fruit-tree country, often I could smell these blossoms on the wind… So incredibly lovely, this was my firs
t Jo Malone LOVE and my first TRUE bottle of spring!
2. French Lime Blossom, by Jo Malone: This one, my Parisian loving friend wears today and it really does remind me of her, which is just lovely! I’ve never been to Paris (yet), but I do imagine a wonderfully and effortlessly fabulous Parisian woman wearing this scent… It’s light and fresh, but has the playful floral of the lime blossoms. French Lime Blossom is slightly more sophisticated than the orange blossom scent with it’s green quality and hint of actual lime, but is it equally evoking of spring… or perhaps a spring romance!
3. White Jasmine & Mint, by Jo Malone: White Jasmine & Mint was a fragrance addition FOR ME last year, and I plan on continuing the indulgence. The sparkling green-ness of the mint in this blend is so lovely and adds something altogether unique. Often, I blend this fragrance with my Orange Blossom scent to get a fragrance more complex and all my own (I should mention Jo Malone’s fragrances are designed to be worn alone or combined with others! Yipee). This IS NOT your grandmother’s white-flower scent, so if you’re nervous about a fragrance that contains jasmine in the title, don’t be. To me, this scent revives memories of warm spring evenings when all the night blooming jasmine starts to tell it’s secrets to the wind… mmmm, I can smell it now!
4. La Chasse aux Papillons by Le Artisan Perfumeur: If I could only have one bottle of spring for the rest of my life, this would be it. If I had to bury a bottle of perfume for every season so that the future might know what spring smelled like in days gone by… I say again, this would be it. The title means “chasing butterflies” and perhaps this, as much as the extremely feminine nectar cradled within is why I keep coming back to it year after year. This fragrance hits every note I adore in a fragrance, orange blossom, lime, lemon, tuberose, laughter, sunshine, and pure woman-ness (Ok, the last three aren’t really notes, but THEY ARE TO ME!). This is a fragrance I wear in the daytime, unless I layer it with something for night… I picture myself out in the sun with a picnic basket or strolling an outdoor mall with friends. This scent is pure and clean and fresh… which I think is asking a lot of a white-flower fragrance! It doesn’t give this headache prone girl any trouble!
5. Grand Neroli by Atlier Cologne: This is another fragrance that was introduced to me by a fellow fragrance lover and friend. This scent is much… hmmm.. what word should I use here… Deeper than the other fragrances. It’s certainly one that could be worn at night as well as in the day. If you haven’t heard of this line before, you really are missing out! Their Orange Sanguine was so close in place of this one that I think it must be mentioned here as well. For if Grand Neroli would be night, the Orange Sanguine would be day, with juicy hints of blood orange and bitter orange peel… I somehow imagine myself in Greece or Italy when I envision the obviously fabulous woman who wears either of these scents… but you can be positively marvelous right in your own backyard with a bottle of this on your nightstand!
6. Pink Jasmine by Fresh: This scent is a cross between the freshest most clean scent you can imagine (think fresh laundry or your favorite shower soap) and jasmine… Imagine walking past a warm dryer vent on a spring day. I love to wear this to bed (yep, I even wear a touch of perfume to bed… If it worked for Marylin, Hallllllo!!) or any time I want to feel super fresh and cleeeeean. I should mention that the like-named cream, which fetches a pretty penny, is lovely layered with any of the Jo Malone fragrances suggested here. This is probably the scent in the bunch that I wear the longest, from March through August when I need a real freshness lift! Did I say fresh enough here!!!?
There you are! I’ll note here that some of the biggest complaints with any of these fragrances is that they don’t last once sprayed. I sort of agree and disagree. Since I am so sensitive to fragrance, I can’t use many that are bold enough to last from dawn to dust; at least without me become immune to the scent after the first hour… And, I will also mention, that to me, part of what is so great about these scents is that they are closer to the smells I LOVE in nature, and not that strong, overpowering fragrance that is usually associated with white flowers. Do you have any favorite spring scents I should try!? Looking for a fragrance recommendation? Hope this helps you find the perfect spring fragrance!!!
apaigefullofglitter 